It is well known in the prior art to attach to an individual station set an answering machine. Modern answering machines have many of the characteristics associated with voice messaging systems. The problem with answering machines is that each answering machine has a finite amount of storage for voice messages. Once the storage for voice messages is exceeded, the answering machines have no mechanism for storing additional messages on other answering machines or at a central location. Further, multimedia message service cannot be provided on present answering machines. Also, known in the prior art is the use of voice messaging systems.
Multimedia messaging systems are starting to become available. The problem with such systems is that in order to start providing messaging services an expensive system has to be purchased. Thus, it is not possible for a company to gradually provide voice or multimedia message service without the investment of a large amount of money. Initially, multimedia messaging may only be required by a few in a large telecommunication switching system. Further, multimedia messaging services will not be introduced in the public switching network for a long time.
There exists then a need for a messaging service that is distributed and yet can utilize the existing public telephone network or a private telephone network without modifications being made to that network.